Rachel Nichols 2America Beautiful Actress 2011 topsRachel Emily Nichols (born January 8, 1980) is an American actress and model. Nichols began modeling while attending Columbia University in New York City in the late 1990s. She transitioned into television and film acting in the early 2000s; she had a bit part in the romantic drama film Autumn in New York (2000) and a one-episode role in the fourth season of the hit show Sex and the City (2002).Her first major role was in the comedy film Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003). She had the main role in the crime drama television series The Inside (2005), though it was cancelled after one season. Nichols gained recognition playing Rachel Gibson in the final season of the serial action television series Alias (2005–2006) and for her role in the horror film The Amityville Horror (2005).Nichols' first starring film role was in the horror–thriller P2 (2007). She had a supporting role in the coming-of-age film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008) and appeared in Star Trek (2009), the eleventh film of the science fiction franchise of the same name. She starred in the action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) and will star in the upcoming sword and sorcery film Conan the Barbarian (2011).2 Acting career2.1 2000–20052.2 2006–present3 Personal life4 Filmography5 References6 External linksRachel Nichols was born in Augusta, Maine, to Jim, a schoolteacher, and Alison Nichols. She attended Cony High School, where she competed in the high jump Nichols said in an interview that she was not "the hot chick in high school" and her mother would euphemistically refer to her as "'a late bloomer', which meant that I had uncontrollable arms and legs, I had very long appendages. I took several years of very highly structured dance classes for me to be able to control myself.Upon graduating in 1998, she enrolled at Columbia University in New York City, aiming for a career as a Wall Street analyst. She was noticed by a modeling agent during lunch one day and was invited to work in Paris; she eventually paid her tuition with the proceeds from her modeling work She worked on advertising campaigns for Abercrombie & Fitch, Guess?, and L'Oreal;she also hosted several MTV specials.Nichols studied economics and psychologyas well as drama, graduating from Columbia in 2003with a double major in math and economicsNichols had done commercial work and had a bit part as a model in the romantic drama film Autumn in New York (2000)when her modeling agent helped her get a one-episode role in the fourth season of Sex and the City (2002). She later said she had "never really done a proper audition before", and added that "I had such fun that day actually made me want to pursue [acting] more seriously Later that year she was cast in her first major film role as Jessica, a dogged student newspaper reporter, in Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003). Although the film was panned by criticsmaking it was a learning experience for Nichols. She said, "I was a sponge for the entire time I was in Atlanta and freely admitted that I had no idea what was going on. I had never done a big film before, I had never been the lead in a film before and any advice anyone wanted to give me, I was more than willing to take The following year, Nichols played a member of a high school debate team in the independent film Debating Robert Lee (2004) and had a two-episode role in the crime drama television series Line of Fire (2004), which was cancelled after 11 of 13 produced episodes were broadcast. By August 2004, she was cast in supporting roles in the horror films The Amityville Horror (2005) and The Woods (2006)Rachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel NicholsRachel Nichols